Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Epilepsy: An Evidence-Based Approach.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Epilepsy: An Evidence-Based Approach. Prog Neurol Surg. 2015 Sep;29:39-52 Authors: Cukiert A Abstract Medical treatment of seizures yields a satisfactory response in 75-80% of the patients; resective epilepsy surgery is a therapeutic option for those patients who are refractory to drug therapy, but there is still a considerable portion (20-30%) of patients who are ineligible for surgery or failed surgery. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) might be an option for these very refractory patients. We carried out an evidence-based search to identify the best evidence presently available related to the use of VNS. We used multiple searchable databases (primary: PubMed-MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and SciELO; secondary: Cochrane Library) and a standard structured approach know as the PICO scheme: P (patient), I (intervention), C (comparison), and O (outcome). Publications were selected based on study design, PICO components, language, and availability of full text. For study design, we included papers designed as 'randomized controlled trials'; these trials were evaluated according to the Jadad score; the type II error was not used while selecting studies to avoid further limitations. Twenty-eight papers were selected, all from PubMed-MEDLINE. The search results showed that patients older than 12 years with refractory partial seizures (with or without generalization) may benefit from VNS. Children might also benefit, but ...
Source: Progress in Neurological Surgery - Category: Neurosurgery Tags: Prog Neurol Surg Source Type: research